20 years ago, what started as an impossible dream, to build a bigger yellow house was realized and ground was broken on the now Deicke House of Hope.  We needed to raise $2,000,000 to have this goal become a reality.  A 3-year fundraising plan was created and in May of 2000, the campaign kicked off at Glen Oak Country Club.

The June 2001 Brightside said it best:  “Maybe it’s because he’s a visionary. Maybe it’s because his philosophy is “believing is seeing” or maybe it’s because he’s a sports nut who really likes the Field of Dreams.  Whatever the reason, Dr. Williams, Executive Director, is well known for his frequent reference to the Deicke House of Hope as a field of dreams.  His dream of a “Bigger Yellow House” started taking shape outside the windows of our “Little Yellow House.”  Only a year into the fundraising campaign, we had received 75% of our goal and were able to break ground.

In the beginning, the “Little Yellow House” was a house that was converted into the offices for the Deicke Center.  The kitchen was a rehab teaching room, the reception area was used to meet with patients, and we had to walk across the street to be able to show patients the latest access technology.  With the new house we had space for Access Technology, multiple exam rooms, a frame shop and a low vision aids store.  The favorite feature was and continues to be the heated sidewalks to prevent slips and falls!

Most importantly, the feeling of being able to welcome our patients into our home like family was retained when we built our new offices – and therefore the current Deicke House of Hope is still a yellow house.

Ground has been broken and the framing has started.

We are getting closer, but see the old house in the background?

Time to demolish the old house.

Grand Opening!